can you recommend me some difficult RC passages?

[lathlee]

Hi.

other than the ones in 10 hardest RC and 5 honorable mentions in Hardest RC passages ever, can you guys recommend me some other difficult RC? I already did 8 of 10 hardest rc ever (which i shall post my viewstamp and wrong questions for the ones that are not included in Lesson 1-12 books soon and the honorable mentions which are not included in lesson books as well) I want to improve

[lathlee]

btw, if you are going to recommend me, prep test 35 passage 4 (Ronald Dworkin) and prep test 59 passage 3, (isamu nnoguchi ones); i already did them by someone's recommendation which i shall post questions about these soon.

[Adam Tyson]

Difficulty in RC is mostly relative, lathlee! Instead of looking for "difficult" passages, keep testing yourself on full, timed sections of RC from published tests. Look for patterns in the types of questions they ask, and focus on improving your note-taking process and prephrasing. Try doing untimed practice on passages and writing down the line references where you found evidence to support your answer choices - this should force you to really think about relying on the text rather than on your memory or outside info, or on any assumptions you might make that are not based solely on the text.

Now, that said, if you haven't already tackled all the PTs from 2014 forward, put every one of them into your rotation as you prepare for June and July. There have been some real doozys sprinkled in there, like Eileen Gray from September 2016 and Inferential Thought from June 2017. Be sure to mix it up, though, to build strength across the board with every type of passage, regardless of content, number of questions, single or comparative, etc. It's not about whether a given passage is difficult, but about how you approach EVERY passage and how you manage that approach across four passages in 35 minutes.

Good luck with your continued studies!

[lathlee]

I just obtained the copy of prep test 79 and Eileen gray passage.

in terms of difficulty, would you guys ( the instructors) put this passage difficulty to the level of Honorable mentions or 10 Most difficult PC ever difficulty?

[Jonathan Evans]

Excellent question, Lathlee!

Often when I'm reviewing old LSATs I'll make mental notes of the different aspects of passages that were particularly challenging. The Eileen Gray passage itself isn't perhaps as difficult to follow as, say, the Embryo Polarity passage from December 2005.

Instead the difficulty arises in the questions. The main point question (#8) is very detail oriented and dense. Question 9 requires abstraction and paralleling. Question 10 is straightforward Must Be True but could be time consuming. Question 11 is similar. Question 12 requires a strong grasp of the main point and the author's point of view. Question 13 is a challenging Must Be True that also requires strong fluency with the main point. Finally, Question 14 tests your ability to extract information, analyze viewpoints, and make a likely inference.

Overall, this is indeed a challenging passage. Is it one of the ten most difficult? I don't know, but ultimately any such list is somewhat arbitrary. What matters is what is difficult for you. Embrace these challenges and approach them confidently and enthusiastically. Even the hardest passage tests the same essential skills as every other reading comprehension passage.